Alright, it's time for Fairy Tail to face their wicked, dirty, ugly rival, Phantom Lord, who trashed their guild. How will they respond to this unprovoked act of violence? And Fox is mad, so mad his voice became demonic. Can't wait to see how this will go.
Whelp, go ahead and enjoy.
Chapter 8: Declaration of War
The group was led by Mirajane to the destroyed guild's basement, where the rest of their guildmates were, a somber air instead of the usual cheery atmosphere. Lucy looked at Fox with a worried expression as they walked through the basement. Being around him for so long, she could tell when something's wrong, and right now, she could feel how angry he was. Kurama shared her thoughts as well, looking at his friend with a worried look. Natsu was fuming mad, veins popping on his head and his fists clenched, Erza and Gray looking calm, yet angry as well, and Ur just followed the group with an expressionless face.
"Hey, the troublemakers are back," one of the mages commented, causing some of them to look a little cheerful.
"Hey, who's the kid?"
"Another new member?"
"Guess that's something to be happy about."
The group finally made it to the back of the basement, a makeshift bar with kegs of alcohol, and sitting on the table, drinking a mug of ale.
"Ah, it's about time you troublemakers came home," he said, his face slightly red from the alcohol.
"Gramps, what's going on!?" Natsu exclaimed in an angry tone. "Why aren't you doing anything?"
"You're right," Makarov said sternly. "What were you brats thinking, stealing that S-Rank quest? You will be punished!"
"That's not what I mea-!" Natsu exclaimed before Makarov whacked him on the head.
"Bad!" Makarov exclaimed.
He then whacked Gray. "Bad!"
Flicked Happy on the forehead. "Bad!"
Slapped Lucy's butt, causing her to yelp. "Bad~!"
"Master," Erza said, getting Makarov's attention. "We can't just let this attack slide."
"She's right," Fox said in a mixture of calm and anger. "They attacked our guild, we should retaliate, 'ttebayo."
"Hahaha, it's unusual to see you so worked up, Fox!" Makarov laughed. "Besides, those idiots from Phantom Lord attacked an empty guild last night. There's no need to get violent."
"But old man," Fox exclaimed.
"That's enough, Fox!" Makarov exclaimed as he slapped something. "Don't make me hit you!"
"Then why are you hitting me!?" Lucy exclaimed as she glared at the extended arm that slapped her butt.
"You will not do anything to Phantom Lord, is that clear, Fox?" Makarov said in a stern voice.
"…Very well, Master," Fox said before he walked to an empty table nearby. He then got comfortable, pulling out his bottle of sake and cup, drinking.
"Fox-kun…" Lucy said in a worried tone as she looked at her friend. Gray, Erza, Happy and Mirajane looked surprised by his outburst, since he was usually calm. But since it was their guild, they could understand.
"Fox's right, old man!" Natsu exclaimed, slamming his palms on the bar. "We should attack Phantom Lord too!"
"I said no!" Makarov exclaimed in a stern tone before he jumped off the bar. "Now, excuse me, I need to pee."
"Old man!" Natsu exclaimed as he was about to ran after him, only to be stopped by Erza.
"That's enough, Natsu," Erza said, grabbing him by the scarf. "It's been a long trip. We should rest."
"By the way, Mira-san," Gray as he gestured at Ur. "This is my master and she wanted to join Fairy Tail."
"This cute little girl is your Master?" Mirajane said as she looked at Ur before at Gray with a weird look. "…I didn't know you were that kind of person, Gray."
"What?" Gray said in a confused expression at why Mirajane as looking at like he was a weirdo. Ur just sighed and she stepped forward.
"I'm Ur Milkovich," she introduced herself. "I taught Gray Ice-Make Magic."
"What?" Mirajane said in a surprised tone. "But Gray said you were a bossy old hag."
Gray paled as Ur had a calm smile on her face, murderous aura radiating off her, all aimed at Gray.
"I see…" she said in a calm tone as she put a hand on Gray's lower back. "Well, when we last met, I was in my thirties, and he was just a little kid. So, I can see why he would think I'm an old hag, right, Gray?"
Gray suddenly screamed in pain as Ur pinched his lower back with as much strength she could muster.
"I'm sorry!" Gray cried as he was on the ground, fighting the pain.
"So, where do I sign up?" Ur said with a smile as she let Gray go.
While Mirajane helped Ur sign up, the group were with Fox, quiet and sullen at what happened to their guild. Fox was thinking that it was his fault. The reason he kept doing low tier missions was so he could come to the guild quickly, so he could protect it.
"Are you okay, Fox-kun?" Lucy asked, causing Fox to turn at her direction.
"I'm fine, Lucy-san," Fox said as he took a sip from his cup. Lucy frowned, noticing the tone of his voice, and the slight ripple of his drink. She didn't think anything could make Fox so rattled up.
"…Okay," she said, not knowing what to say.
"Mira-nee, we're back," Lisanna called as she and Flare walked towards the bar, carrying groceries. Flare was using her hair to carry most of it. "Oh, Natsu, Happy, you're back!"
"Lisanna!" Happy exclaimed as he flew to her and landed on her head. "Do you have fish?"
"Yup, I bought a lot," Lisanna said with a smile as Happy cheered. Once the groceries were behind the counter, Flare walked to the table and sat next to Fox.
"How was the mission, Fox-san?" she asked as she looked at Fox as he refilled his cup.
"It went smoothly," Fox said. "Catching these troublemakers and finishing the mission was easier than done, thanks to Erza-san."
"Fox-san, you did most of the wo-," Erza said before Fox cut her off.
"So, how are you, Flare-san?" he asked, facing Flare. "You didn't get hurt, right?"
"No," she replied, shaking her head. "No one got hurt. But why did Phantom Lord attack us?"
"Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord are rival guilds," Kurama replied as he looked at Flare. "For as long as the two guilds existed, they've been competing in terms of popularity."
"Che, we're way better than them," Natsu grumbled. "But Gramps is being a chicken."
Suddenly, Fox whacked him on the head, sending his face on the table.
"Don't talk that way about the old man," he said sternly. "It pains me to admit, but the old man is right. If we retaliate, it could cause a guild war, and a war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord could cause serious damage."
"Is Phantom Lord really that strong?" Lucy asked with wide eyes.
"Well, old man Makarov is a formidable mage, being one of the Ten Wizard Saints," Gray said. "But Phantom Lord's guild master, Jose Porla, is also one of the Ten Wizard Saints."
"Not only that, but their S-Class mages equals ours," Erza said as she crossed her arms. "The Element Four and 'Black Steel' Gajeel, their Iron Dragon Slayer."
"A Dragon Slayer?" Lucy said in shock as she looked at a sulking Natsu. "Just like Natsu?"
"I am way better than that Gajeel!" Natsu exclaimed in anger.
"From the iron rods, it seems Gajeel was the one who attacked us," Erza said before she had a thoughtful look on her face. "But still, why did they attack us? Our guilds may not get along, but we never escalate to this."
"For now, we just have to be careful," Fox said. "Everyone should be in groups, in case something else happens."
"Good idea, Fox," Makarov said with a nod, returning from the restroom. "I'll inform the others."
As Makarov did that, Fox was still thinking about the sudden attack. He heard that Black Steel was always picking a fight and asking for trouble, like a meaner version of Natsu. But Jose Porla isn't like that. Why would he risk a guild war with Fairy Tail?
"Whatever the reason is, destroying the guild might not be their only provocation," Fox thought as he sipped his sake. "I won't let them attack Fairy Tail again."
Later…
Lucy, and Plue, was walking back to her apartment, easily balancing herself on the bridge. The men who steer boats greeted her, already used to seeing her walk like that.
"I still can't believe our guild got wrecked," she said with a frown. "Geez. And to think I ever thought of joining Phantom Lord. They have strong mages, but their rep is horrible. I'm so glad I decided to join Fairy Tail. If I didn't, I wouldn't have met Fox-kun…"
A pink hue dusted her cheeks as she reached her apartment. She shook her head. Thinking about Fox, she started to worry. Ever since they saw the state of their guild, he's been acting strange. He was usually observant, but now he was absentminded. She even had to remind him about her weights.
"Maybe he'll be back to normal once the guild is fixed," Lucy said as she put the key on the door. "It's good to be home!"
"Welcome home!"
"Kya!" she exclaimed as she saw Erza, Happy, Gray, Kurama, Ur and a sulking Natsu sitting around her living room table, drinking tea and eating snacks.
"What a nice place you have, Lucy," Erza commented with a smile.
"What are you doing here!?" she exclaimed, though she kicked at Natsu and Happy.
"Master Makarov said that it'll be safer if we stay in groups," Erza explained calmly. "So, we decided to sleepover at your house."
"It would have been nice if you told me first," Lucy said with a frown. She then looked around the room. "Um…where's Fox-kun?"
"Missing your boyfriend?" Ur asked with a smirk, causing Lucy to look flustered.
"He said he has something to do," Kurama said with a sigh. "He's still in shock about what happened."
"We all are," Gray said with a frown. "We all want to do something."
"But gramps is too scared," Natsu said sulkily.
"No, he's not," Erza said. "It's like Fox said, a guild war is too dangerous. Now, just relax. Tomorrow will be better."
A few seconds later, the group were rummaging through Lucy's stuff without asking for permission.
"Hey, got anything to eat?"
"Erza, look at Lucy's underwear!"
"Wow, how racy of you, Lucy."
"Ah, to be young again."
"…You guys made yourself at home too quickly," Lucy commented in a deadpanned tone. She then noticed Gray reading her written novels. "Hey! Don't read that!"
"But I wanna see what happens next," Gray complained as Lucy put the papers to a drawer and locked it.
"Did you get to the part where they fought that giant gorilla guardian?" Kurama asked. "That was my favorite."
"You've read it!?" Lucy exclaimed, her cheeks red.
"Yeah, we thought it was pretty good," Kurama said with a nod.
"We?"
"Fox likes it too," Kurama explained, causing Lucy's face to turn red. "Never seen him read something other than Tales of a Gutsy Ninja."
"Geez! Why do you guys go through my stuff!" Lucy complained. "I need a bath to relax…"
"Yes, a nice, hot bath would be relaxing," Erza said with a smile as she stood up. "May I join you, Lucy? I could scrub your back for you."
"Sure," Lucy said, not seeing any reason to refuse.
"A bath would be nice," Ur said with a smile.
"You boys better take a bath as well," Erza said, turning to Natsu and Gray.
"No way," Natsu grumbled.
"Seems like a hassle," Gray said.
"Oh? Then how about we bathe together, like old times?" Erza suggested as she placed her arms on a flushed Natsu and Gray's shoulder.
"What kind of relationship do you guys have!?" Lucy exclaimed, an unhealthy shade of red.
Meanwhile, in the dark streets, Team Shadow Gear was walking through the streets, to retire for the night.
"I sure feel safe with two strong men with me," Levy said with a smile.
"Don't worry, Levy-chan," Jet said as he puffed up his chest. "I'll protect you."
"No, I'll protect you!" Droy exclaimed.
The two boys started butt heads, causing Levy to giggle. They were unaware of being looked at a figure standing on the rooftops, a predatory grin on his face as he looked at them with slit, red eyes. He suddenly jumped towards them, ready to grab Levy, who suddenly looked up.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of her, catching the hand that tried to grab her.
"Fox-san!?" Levy exclaimed in shock as Jet and Droy looked surprised.
"Levy-san, Jet-san, Planthead-san," Fox said in a serious tone. "Go and hide."
The three just stood there, not knowing what's going on.
"Go!" Fox exclaimed, his voice distorted.
Shocked by his voice changing, the three started running, leaving Fox to glare at a tall and muscular man with long, spiky black hair, no eyebrow, his face covered with piercings; three studs on each eyebrow, two on the sides of his nose and two below his mouth, as well as five on each ear. On his arms were four studs, sharp, canine teeth and a Phantom Lord symbol on his right shoulder. He was dressed in a shabby, black, sleeveless tunic with studded edges, a studded belt, loose, beige pants tucked on studded, black boot and a pair of studded, black gloves, with wing-like ornaments on his shoulders.
"Black Steel Gajeel," Fox growled as he looked at the smirking Dragon Slayer.
"So, another weak ass Fairy?" Gajeel said with a smirk as he looked at Fox. "Never heard of you, though."
"You don't need to know my name," Fox said as he tightened his grip on Gajeel's hand, causing Gajeel to look slightly surprise before grinning. "Just know that you will pay."
"I'd like to see you try!" Gajeel exclaimed as he threw a punch, which Fox dodged by moving his head to the side. Gajeel then threw a kick, but Fox dodged. A magic circle appeared on the hand Fox was holding. "Iron Dragon's Pole!"
His arm suddenly turned into a metal pole, the same that wrecked the guild, and extended, pushing Fox a few feet. He dug his heels to the ground until the pole stopped, surprising Gajeel. Fox then lifted Gajeel in the air, using the pole as leverage. Fox then slammed Gajeel to the ground, making a small crater.
Fox stood there as he faced where Gajeel was, until a magic circle appeared from Gajeel's arm-turned-blade, shooting knives towards Fox.
"Shadow Grace: Black Vortex!" Fox exclaimed as he raised his left hand, and a circular shadow erupted from his palm. The knives were absorbed by the shadow, shocking Gajeel. "Liberation!"
The knives were thrown back at Gajeel, who used his arms to block it. He skidded a few feet before the knives finally stopped. He looked at Fox and saw that he was gone. He tried to look for him, using his enhanced senses, but he got nothing.
Suddenly, he felt a heavy blow on his jaw as Fox appeared below him, punching him on the jaw. He felt himself being lifted off his feet before Fox grabbed his leg and threw him to the wall, using his left arm to push Gajeel by the neck, restraining him.
"Now, what does Jose Porla want?" Fox demanded, pushing his forearm, choking Gajeel a bit. "He isn't stupid enough to cause a guild war, at least not without something to fight for."
"Why should I know?" Gajeel said with a taunting smirk, before Fox pushed his forearm to Gajeel's neck.
"Because you're probably his loyal lapdog," Fox said, causing Gajeel to frown. "When master says 'bark', you ask 'how loud?', am I right?"
Gajeel just glared at Fox before he saw something and smirked. Fox noticed, and heard rapid footsteps coming towards them. Fox quickly turned around and threw a fist with his left but was shocked when the figure dodged and strike his arm in various locations, where he's Chakra Points were located.
"What!?" he thought in shocked as his arm went limp. "My Chakra Points were blocked!?"
"You are within my range," a familiar voice said, causing Fox's eyes to widen.
"Two strikes!" Fox felt two consecutive strikes on his chest and shoulder.
"Four strikes!" two more strikes on his abdomen and right arm.
"Eight strikes!" four strikes below his neck and various points on his chest.
"Sixteen strikes! Thirty-two strikes! Sixty-four strikes! One hundred twenty-eight strikes!"
Fox could feel the pain coursing through his body before he started feeling numb. He fell to the ground, unable to talk or move. The only thing he could move was his right fingers.
"I could have handled it," Gajeel grunted, rubbing his neck as he walked towards the figure.
"Clearly," the figure said as he walked out the shadow. Long, brown hair with the end tied, white, pupiless eyes, dressed in black robes with white, loose pants and black sandals, a pouch attached on his waist. On his head was a headband with the Konoha symbol engraved on the metal plate.
"Bite me, Bug Eyes," Gajeel growled before he looked at the paralyzed Fox and kicked him on the head, knocking him out. "Not so tough, are you?"
"There wasn't any information about this one," Gajeel's companion said before he noticed the scroll on his back. "Wait…this scroll…"
"What about it?" Gajeel said as the person removed the scroll strapped on Fox's back.
"This is the Scroll of Sealing!" the guy said in shock before looking at Fox. "How…"
"Neji-kun! Gajeel-san!" a female voice called, landing near them. A brown-haired girl with her hair done in two buns, making it look like panda's ears, dressed in a black, flak vest over a white, long-sleeved shirt, maroon pants, black, fingerless gloves and black sandals, with pouches attached to her waist. On her head was a Konoha headband. "I've managed to restrain the three mages. Now what?"
"We make them angry," Gajeel said as he looked at Fox, grinning. "I was gonna use those three trashes, but this one will do."
As Gajeel picked up Fox from the back of his cloak and walked towards the park, the girl was looking at what Neji was holding, her eyes widening.
"Neji-kun," she said, walking closer to get a better look. "Is that…the Scroll of Sealing?"
"Yes, Tenten-san," Neji replied, looking at his teammate.
"But I thought Orochimaru has it," Tenten said as Neji strapped the scroll on his back.
"Perhaps that person is a subordinate of Orochimaru," Neji said as veins appeared around his eyes as he looked at Fox, noticing his unnatural Chakra coils. "His Chakra feels unnatural."
"…Do you think we can find a way home with that?" Tenten asked, a hopeful glint in her eyes.
"Perhaps," Neji said before they watched Gajeel put Fox on the biggest tree, using metal rings to put his above his head. He tried to take off Fox's shirt, to brand the Phantom Tail symbol on his chest, but the clothes were stuck. Even tearing them doesn't work. So he just branded the tree, to show them who attacked him.
"Gihihi," Gajeel laughed as he looked at his handiwork. "This looks good enough to piss off those fairies."
With that, Neji, Tenten and Gajeel left, leaving Fox hanging on the tree, unconscious and unmoving.
The Next Morning…
Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Happy, Ur and Kurama were walking through the streets in the early morning. Kurama, who was being carried by Lucy, was unusually quiet, a worried look on his face. He knew Fox, so it was worrying to have not heard of him last night. Usually, he would be back before midnight.
"Hey, I'm sure Fox-kun is alright," Lucy said, noticing Kurama's worried expression. "He's probably busy last night."
"…Probab-hm?" Kurama said before he noticed something on the sidewalk. "What's that?"
The group looked and their eyes widened when they saw Levy, Jet and Droy on the ground, out cold.
"Levy-chan!" Lucy exclaimed as she ran towards Team Shadow Gear, with the rest following her. She kneeled down and lifted Levy's head. "Are you okay!?"
"…Lu-chan?" Levy said weakly as she opened her eyes. "Where…where are we?"
"What happened?" Erza asked seriously as Natsu and Gray helped Jet and Droy up.
"We…were walking home," Levy said as she tried to remember what happen. "Then…Fox-san stopped someone from attacking us. Oh no, Fox-san!"
"Where did you last saw him?" Kurama asked seriously.
"Near the park," Levy said as she and her teammates quickly stood up.
The group then made their way to the park as fast as they can, worried expressions on their faces. When they got there, a lot of the people were gathered on the biggest tree at the center of the park, looking shocked.
"Move!" Erza ordered, walking through the crowd. "We're from Fairy Tail!"
When they reached the base of the tree, their eyes widened when they saw Fox hanging from the side of the tree by metal rings on his wrists, unconscious, with the logo of Phantom Lord above his head.
"Fox-kun!" Lucy exclaimed in shock and horror. Kurama flew off her arms and went to remove the rings off before gently lowering him to the ground. Lucy was on his side, looking close to tears as she straddled him.
"Phantom Lord!" Natsu growled in anger, his palms bleeding from clenching his fists top hard as he glared at the insignia. "They did this!"
Soon, the mages of Fairy Tail arrived and saw the state of their comrade, all looking shocked and angry when they saw Fox's state. Makarov, dressed in his white, fur-trimmed coat with gold shoulder paddings and medals on the chest, the insignia of the Ten Wizards Saints on his back, and his staff in hand, was walking through the crowd, his expression hidden as he looked at Fox.
"No…" Mirajane said, tears appearing in her eyes as Lisanna hug her for support, also having tears in her eyes.
"Master…" Erza said, her expression beyond angry, her arms shaking in anger. She wasn't the only one angry; Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Cana, everyone had a pissed off expression as they saw Fox.
Makarov stared at Fox before he took a deep breath and covered his face with his hand.
"…I can laugh at them for destroying our building," Makarov said as his hand shook. "But I will not stand by and let them hurt one of my children!"
In anger, he broke the staff he was holding, causing it to splinter in half. When he looked up, his eyes were murderous with veins popping on his head as a golden glow enveloped his body.
"This means WAR!" he declared in anger.
Oak Town…
In the guild of Phantom Lord, a lot of the mages were being loud and obnoxious, drinking, brawling and touching each other inappropriately. They were busy celebrating and ridiculing Fairy Tail after they heard what Gajeel did to one of their mages.
"Well, time for me to see this broad," a bald mage with dental problems said as he started walking out the big doors.
"Ha! Is it a date or something?" his guildmates asked, laughing.
"Nah, bitch's too ugly for me," the mage said with a sneer. "Though she's rich. When I threatened her, she begged to pay me double! It's near that Fairy trash's place. Maybe I'll pluck some fairy's wings while I'm there!"
They laughed as he reached the door. But when he was about to open the door, it exploded. Everyone went quiet as the bald mage, now blackened by soot, smashed on the other side of the guild, hitting their symbol.
When the smoke cleared, they saw Natsu with his fist smoking, glaring at them. Behind him were the mages of Fairy Tail, looking ready to fight.
"Fairy Tail is here!" Makarov declared.
"What the hell!?" Phantom Lord mages exclaimed before Natsu charged, fists ablaze.
"Come on, Phantom Lord!" he exclaimed as he punched the mages, left and right, knocking a few teeth out and breaking some bones. "I don't care who you are, just come get some!"
"Don't get cocky!" one of them exclaimed as he attempted to punch Natsu, only to receive a nose-shattering punch from Salamander.
"Ice Make: Lances!" Gray exclaimed as he made several ice lances that stabbed some mages, though he avoided vital organs. He then made a giant hammer and slammed it to the ground that blew a few off their feet while crushing the ones that got hit. "Ice Make: Impact!"
"Beast Arm: Black Bull!" Elfman exclaimed as his right arm turned into a large, muscular black beast arm, which he used to start slamming and punching nearby Phantom Lord mages.
"What the heck is with his arm!?" one of them exclaimed as he watched his guildmates punched through the air. Suddenly, a white blur appeared and slashed his face, causing him to scream in pain.
The white blur stopped, revealing Lisanna, wearing a tiger-skin, two-piece bikini, her hair longer, with cat ears, cat-like claws on her arms and feet, a collar with a bell and a tail.
"Animal Soul: Cat!" she exclaimed before disappearing into a blur, slashing at the enemy mages.
"Card Magic: Thunderbolt's Fate!" Cana exclaimed as she threw three cards into the air, which combined and started releasing strong bolts of lighting, electrocuting nearby mages. She then threw cards to a group of mages. "Card Magic: Explosion Cards!"
The groups screamed as they were blown to the air as Cana kept throwing magic cards at them, glaring at them angrily.
"Purple Net!" Macao exclaimed as he fired purple fire that trapped a large group of Phantom Lord mages. "Now, Wakaba!"
"On it!" Wakaba exclaimed as his blew his pipe. Fists made of smoke erupted from his pipe, punching the restrained mages' faces. "Smoke Magic: Smoke Crush!"
"Guns Magic: Sparks Shot!" Alzack exclaimed as he rapidly fired his handgun, hitting the mages with electric bullets, paralyzing them. Suddenly, he saw a mage about to strike him from behind.
"Eat this!" he exclaimed, before a green bullet hit him, knocking him away.
"Don't get careless, Al!" Bisca said, holding her sniper.
"Nice shot, Bisca!" Alzack said before returning to the fight.
"Target Lock On: Homing Shot!" Bisca said as she used her magic to aim at the enemy mages. Once they were locked, she fired, and one bullet took them all out.
"Heaven Wheel's Armor!" Erza exclaimed as she changed armor. She then flew to the air, swords floating behind her. "Dance my blades!"
Her swords started slashing and stabbing at her enemies, causing them to scream.
"Ring Magic: Twister!" Loki exclaimed as he used his rings to fire twisters at the enemy, throwing them into the air, where Happy, using a club, whacked them on the heads.
"High Speed Magic: Falcon Heavenward!" Jet exclaimed as he rushed at a group, lashing at them with a strong kick that sent them flying.
"Plant Magic: Knuckle Plant!" Droy exclaimed as he threw seeds to the ground that magically sprouted and punched the group that Jet sent flying.
"Picture Magic: Nature Run Wild!" Reedus exclaimed as he painted wild boars on his stomach and used his magic to make them alive, casting them to the mages, crushing them.
"Ice Make: Rose Garden!" Ur exclaimed as she stood between groups of Phantom Lord mages that tried to gang up on her, making chunks of ice roses towards her enemies, freezing them upon contact.
"The hell kind of brat is this!?" one of them exclaimed before he was covered in ice.
"Wood Make: The Dam of Shy Love!" Maki exclaimed as she used her magic to create giant, wooden tools that blew the mages off their feet.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" a mage exclaimed, not seeing the connection of the name and her attack.
"Look, it's Makarov!" one of them exclaimed, spotting the small master.
"Get him!"
All of the nearby Phantom Lord mages charged at Makarov, thinking he was easy prey due to his size and age. Suddenly, Makarov's eyes glowed before he grew bigger until he shadowed the mages that tried to gang up on him.
He then easily crushed the mages in front of him with his giant hands, crushing their bones and causing blood to fly out of their mouths.
"M-monster!" one of them cried as he looked at Makarov with terrified eyes.
"YOU'VE HARMED A CHILD OF THIS MONSTER," Makarov said as he glared at the mage, causing him to cry and whimper. "DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE PROTECTED BY HUMAN LAWS!"
With that, he swept his arm, swatting several Phantom Lord mages across the guild. Phantom Lord stood there, looking terrified as Fairy Tail easily beaten their fellow guildmates.
"This is Fairy Tail!?" one of them exclaimed in fright. "Their master is a monster! And those low-rank mages aren't weak!"
"Where are Gajeel and the Element Four?" Erza, in her Flame Empress Armor, asked as she noticed Phantom Lord's strongest mages being absent.
High above the hall, Gajeel, Neji and Tenten stood on the wooden support, watching the battle happening.
"Well, there's Makarov and Titania," Gajeel mused with a smirk. "But I don't see Mystogan, Laxus or Gildarts. Cocky bastards. But it's all going according to master's plan."
"Still, it's impressive how strong Fairy Tail is without them," Neji commented as he looked at the fighters. "No wonder he hired us to rescue his daughter."
"Still, all this just for her, the girl must really be important," Tenten said, though she was secretly admiring Erza, with her various use of weapons.
Suddenly, they felt killing intent directed at them. Surprised, they looked and saw Kurama perched on the beams, glaring at them.
"A cat?" Tenten asked, shocked that the feeling came from something small.
"Those clothes…" Neji said, feeling like he's seen those clothes before.
"What do you want?" Gajeel said with a smirk.
"You…You were the one that attacked Fox," he growled before he noticed the scroll. "And you took his scroll…Bastards!"
With a roar, he transformed into his human form and charged as Neji and Tenten looked shock.
"Naruto!?" they thought as Kurama threw a punch that Gajeel blocked, causing a shockwave.
"Gihihi," Gajeel laughed, feeling the power from that strike. He then threw his arm up, causing Kurama to be pushed away, landing on another beam. "Interesting. So, that guy's name is Fox? Guess there's more to you fairy trashes than I thought."
"I will break you!" Kurama growled before charging again. Gajeel just smirked as he jumped as well. Their fists clashed, causing another shockwave.
Magnolia Town…
Lucy, Flare and Levy were in the hospital, watching Fox. Mirajane was with them earlier, but she returned to the guild to contact Laxus, Mystogan or Gildarts.
Lucy had dried tears on her cheeks as she looked at her friend and teacher, never wanting to see him so helpless.
"Phantom Lord…" she said, clenching her fists and frowning. "They'll pay for this…"
Levy nodded. Ever since getting to know Fox better, she started to see him as a good friend and a comrade. And it was because of him that she wasn't hurt by Phantom Lord.
"Hey, he's moving," Flare commented as she saw his fingers twitch.
"Fox-kun?" Lucy said, her eyes lighting up hopefully. But he hasn't gotten up yet. "…He's still unconscious…"
"Um, then why is his hand moving like that?" Flare asked. Lucy and Levy blinked before they looked at his hand. Sure enough, his finger was making tapping sounds on the bed.
"Should we call the nurse?" Levy asked, a little worried.
"Hang on…" Lucy said, her eyes narrowing. "Fox-kun and Kurama usually do this sometimes…Like they were communicating! This is Morse code!"
"Really?" Levy asked in surprise
"Yes, Fox-kun is trying to say something," Lucy said with a smile.
"Do you know what he's saying?" Flare asked, tilting her head.
"Um…no," Lucy said, looking sheepish.
"I'll give it a try," Levy said as she grabbed a pen and paper. "I've read about Morse code a long time ago; I might be able to crack it."
Levy looked at the finger, writing down the taps, whether long or short, fast or slow. After a few minutes, she wrote down what he might be saying.
"Gentle…Fist…Chakra…Points?" she said, looking confused, so did Flare. Lucy, however, lit up.
"Chakra points?" she said before she grabbed the glasses Fox gave her in her pouch and put it on. When she activated it, she saw that Fox's pathway was blocked, except for his right hand. "His Chakra pathway is blocked!"
"Chakra pathway?" Levy and Flare asked, looking confused.
"I'll explain later," Lucy said before she concentrated magic on her fingers.
Praying that it would work, she started striking the Chakra points, using her magic to unblock them. Once she got to the last one, which was his chest, Fox gasped and sat up, causing the girls to jump in shock.
"…Thank you," he gasped as the girls calmed down. "I've been trying to figure out how to tell you guys. Good thing you two are observant, Flare-san, Lucy-san. It's also good that you know Morse Code, Levy-san."
"Fox-kun!" Lucy exclaimed as she suddenly hugged him, surprising Fox. "You're alright!"
"Um…Thank you?" Fox said awkwardly, still not use to being hugged. Flare joined in the hug too, happy to see him back.
"Fox-san…" Levy said as she looked down. "I'm sorry…because of me…you got hurt..."
"Don't apologize, Levy-san," Fox said as the girls let him go so he could stand up. "I was saving a fellow comrade of Fairy Tail. Besides, it was my fault for being careless."
"Fox-san…" Levy said before she wiped her eyes.
"What happened, anyway?" Lucy asked as Fox stretched, to get the feeling back on his body.
"Black Steel had some company," Fox said, though there was an air of confusion around him. "But they used Chakra, like me and Kurama."
"But how can that be?" Lucy said, shocked. "Unless they're from the Elemental Nations."
"That can't be possible," Fox said, shaking his head. "But the guy who attacked me seems familiar…Where's the old man?"
"Master Makarov led a lot of them to Phantom Lord," Levy replied.
"This isn't good," Fox said as he quickly made his way to the door. "Come on, we have to hurry!"
Oak Town…
Phantom Lord was slowly recovering from the surprise attack as they started their counterattack, managing to defeat a few Fairy Tail mages. Despite getting bearings on what was happening, they were still being overpowered.
The fight became even more out of control when the fight between Kurama and Gajeel went from the wooden beams on top to the bottom, getting a lot of the mages between their fight. Kurama has a snarl on his face while Gajeel has a wide grin on his face, laughing as they fought, wrecking the place.
"Iron Dragon Pole!" Gajeel's arm turned into a pole aimed at Kurama, who jumped to dodge it.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he exclaimed, making a cross finger sign. In puffs of smoke, two more Kuramas appeared beside the original, who he grabbed and hurled them at Gajeel.
Gajeel used his other arm to block the two Kuramas' attacks before throwing his arm, which turned into a metal pole, hitting the two, causing them to poof. Suddenly, the smoke dispersed when Kurama ran through it on Gajeel's metal arm. He then kicked Gajeel on the face, sending him crashing to the bar.
"That little brat just knocked Gajeel off his feet!" one of the Phantom Lord mages exclaimed in shock.
Suddenly, Kurama ducked as a metal pole attempted to hit him, causing the people behind him to get hit instead.
"How fun," Gajeel said with a smirk as he returned his arm to normal.
"You'd even hurt your own guildmates," Kurama said in shock as he glared at Gajeel.
"These weaklings getting hurt ain't my problem," Gajeel said with a smirk.
"Gajeel!" a voice exclaimed. He looked and saw Natsu running towards him, fists blazing. Natsu then punched Gajeel on the face, sending him to the air. "I'm Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon Slayer!"
"Another Dragon Slayer!?" a Phantom Lord mage exclaimed. "Like Gajeel?"
"This is my fight, Natsu!" Kurama exclaimed in anger. "Don't interfere!"
"This is my fight first!" Natsu exclaimed angrily, butting heads with Kurama.
"You want me to gag you again!?" Kurama asked before he felt someone rushing towards him. He quickly jumped away, dodging a palm strike aimed at his chest. He looked and saw Neji in a Gentle Fist stance. "…Who are you?"
"That's my question for you," Neji said, his veins bulging around his eyes. "Do you know someone named Naruto Uzumaki?"
Kurama's eyes widened before he looked serious, turning his full attention to Neji.
"Natsu, go ahead and take Gajeel," Kurama said with a growl. "I'll take care of this guy."
"Good," Natsu said with a feral grin before charging at Gajeel.
Meanwhile, Makarov was walking through the crowd of Phantom Lord mages, easily making a crowd as he made his way to the stairs.
"Erza! Take charge!" Makarov ordered as he made his way upstairs. "I need to have a word with Jose."
"Master!" Erza called before she had to move to avoid a Phantom Lord mage before slashing at him.
Meanwhile, Kurama was dodging Neji's quick and heavy strikes while throwing attacks of his own, but Neji was blocking them.
"You fight like a Shinobi," Neji commented as he bended backwards to dodge a kick. He then grabbed the leg and was about to strike the points, before Kurama undid the transformation, freeing himself from Neji's grip. "Who taught you?"
"Right, just ask and I'll just blab?" Kurama said as he turned back to his human form. "Give me back the scroll you stole from him!"
"This scroll is the property of Konoha," Neji said with a glare. "It was taken by a traitor, a traitor that killed someone I consider as a friend."
"What are you implying?" Kurama growled.
"Your friend works with a traitor," Neji said coldly.
"I've known Fox ever since I was hatched, he doesn't work for any traitor," Kurama growled as he made three Shadow Clones. "Besides, that's rich coming from a mage of Phantom Lord, when you're nothing but brutes and delinquents."
He nodded at two of the clones before they charged at Neji, who blocked and dodged their attacks. The third clone just nodded at Kurama, who held his hand out. The clone started moving the air over the palm as Kurama collected Chakra, creating a blue, swirling ball of Chakra.
Neji saw what Kurama was doing, causing his eyes to widen. He heard of that move, the move created by the legendary Yondaime Hokage, a move Naruto mastered under Jiraiya the Toad Sage's tutelage.
"Impossible," he said before he quickly dispatched the two clones and ran towards Kurama, who finished the technique. "You are within my range!"
"No, you're in mine!" Kurama exclaimed as he dodged Neji's two consecutive strikes and aimed the attack at Neji's chest. "Rasengan!"
Neji watched with wide eyes as the Rasengan was going towards his chest. Just as it was about to make contact, a Bo Staff struck Kurama on the face, sending him away from Neji, the Rasengan dispersing. Tenten twirled the staff as Neji catch his breath.
"Be more careful, Neji-kun," Tenten said as they looked at Kurama standing up, glaring at them as he wiped the blood off his chin. "This cat may look like Naruto, but he's stronger than he looks."
"I'm beginning to see that," Neji said seriously. "No more holding back."
Kurama looked as Neji and Tenten looked serious, their Chakra increasing. He growled as he did the same before charging at the two, who were now ready for him.
Meanwhile, Erza was looking at Kurama's fight, impress by his skill, and intrigued by the people he was fighting.
"Who are they?" she thought. "I've never heard of them before."
Magnolia City…
Fox, Lucy, Levy and Flare were walking through the empty streets, on their way to Oak Town to help the others.
"I hope no one got hurt," Levy said worriedly as they made their way to the station. Suddenly, she felt something wet hit her nose. "Huh?"
Suddenly the sky turned from clear blue to dark gray, with rain pouring down on them. Soon enough, they were soaked.
"Woah! Where did this rain come from?" Lucy exclaimed as they looked at a place to cover.
"…Someone's coming," he said warningly as he looked at the street, causing the three girls to tense Walking through the rain, holding a blue umbrella, was a beautiful, pale and curvaceous girl with blue hair tightly curled at the base with midnight-blue eyes, wearing a blue coat, a cream colored, furry trimmed, navy blue shawl with a teru teru bozu attached to it, and a Cossack hat.
"Drip, drop, drip, drop," the person with a Russian accent said as she walked through the streets. Lucy watched her carefully, looking worried. "Wherever Juvia goes, the rain goes. Drip, drop, drip, drop…Oh, forgive Juvia for interrupting. Juvia was looking for someone. Excuse me."
"Huh?" Lucy said as they watched the girl walk away from them. "…That was weird."
"Non, non, non!" a male voice in a French accent said as the ground next to Juvia started moving. "Bonjour with three nons!"
"What's that?" Flare asked as the ground parted, revealing a slim man with a tiny, pointy mustache, green hair spiked upwards and wearing a monocle on his right eye attached to a slim chain, wearing a formal, brown suit with a ragged collar over a white shirt, red tie and simple shoes, as well as a cape attached to his elbows.
"A weirdo popped out of the ground!" Lucy exclaimed in shock.
"How rude!" the man exclaimed, glaring at Lucy.
"Oh, Monsieur Sol," the woman greeted.
"Juvia-sama, you must not forget our mission," Sol said as he pointed at Juvia. "This rude mademoiselle is our target."
"She is?" Juvia said, surprised as everyone tensed, facing the two people.
"What do you want with Lu-chan?" Levy asked as she held her Magic Pen at the ready.
"Our client hired us to retrieve Lucy-sama, non, non, non," Sol said. "After all, a father should worry for his daughter, should he not?"
"Father?" Lucy said in shock as she stumbled back a bit. "No…that can't be…"
"I see," Fox said, finally realizing what Jose wants. "So, Jose Porla wants Lucy for money."
"Money?" Flare said in a confused tone.
"Lucy's last name is Heartfilia, the richest family in Fiore," Fox replied, shocking the three girls. "Jose Porla wants to use Lucy as a way to gain money."
"Indeed, Monsieur," Sol said with a smirk, bending sideways. "Now, if you excuse us, we must capture her!"
Sol then started moving towards the shocked Lucy, moving through the ground like a fish in water. Flare and Levy tried to use their magic to stop Sol, but he was already in front of Lucy by the time they were ready to attack. Just as Sol was about to capture her, his face met a sole of a sandal, stopping him from reaching Lucy and kicking him out of the ground, and flying passed Juvia, who just stood there before she turned her head as Sol finally hit a building, knocking him and a few teeth out.
"Water-," Juvia said as she was about to prepare a spell, her arm turning into water.
"Shadow Grace: Shadow Bind!" Fox's shadow moved towards Juvia like slithering snakes and wrapped around Juvia's body, restraining her, much to her surprise.
Levy and Flare stared at Fox in shock and awe as he walked towards the tied-up girl who struggled to free herself from the shadows, but nothing worked.
"Juvia cannot free herself?" she thought in shock. "How is this possible?"
She then looked and saw Fox standing in front of her. She felt intimidated as she looked at his concealed face.
"Tell Jose Porla that Phantom Lord will fall, and he will meet his end," Fox said in a dark voice.
"Y-yes, Juvia will do that," she stammered before the shadows finally released her. She suddenly turned into water and went towards the unconscious Sol before they disappeared in the puddles. Once she was gone, the rain suddenly stopped, the sky quickly turning clear blue.
"That was amazing, Fox-san!" Levy exclaimed in awe. "Lu-chan was right, you are strong!"
"Lucy-san?" Flare said in a worried tone as Lucy was kneeling on the ground, worrying Levy and Flare. "What's wrong?"
"…It's my fault," Lucy said as tears appeared in her eyes. "Dad…he sent Phantom Lord after me…I'm the reason our guild was destroyed…why Fox-kun got hurt…"
She then felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked and saw that it was Fox.
"This is not your fault, Lucy," Fox said, surprising Lucy that he wasn't adding -san in her name. "Phantom Lord attacking us is not your fault, it is theirs. I don't blame you for what happened to me. You're my friend, so don't blame yourself, 'ttebayo."
Lucy sniffed before she wiped the tears off her eyes and nodded, though she was still upset.
"Levy-san, Flare-san, take her back to the guild," Fox said as he started walking. "I will go to Oak Town on my own."
"…Okay," Levy said as Flare nodded before they took the distraught Lucy and walked back to the guild before Fox started running as fast as he can, towards Oak Town.
Oak Town…
In the office of Jose Porla, Makarov blasted the door opened and stomped inside, his magic aura flaring wildly and angrily. He then saw Jose Porla, a lanky, skinny man with a trimmed beard and auburn hair tied to a ponytail, cruel, black eyes and red lipstick, dressed in a blue uniform with a black cape, bat-like wings on the back of his shoulders, black boots and black gloves with the Phantom Lord guild on the back of his cape. There was a sneer on his face as he looked at Makarov.
"Well, I was wondering when you'll get here, you old fool," Jose Porla said as Makarov glared at him.
"Porla, you fool, why did you attack my children?" Makarov demanded while Jose just chuckled.
"As if you don't know, Dreyar," he said. "After all, being almost tied, the only advantage you have was having her in your pockets."
"Her? Pockets?" Makarov said, confused,
"I'm talking about the girl," Jose said as he kicked his desk, and Makarov's eyes widened when he saw Lucy, tied up and gagged.
"Lucy!" Makarov exclaimed as he dashed towards them, to save her. But then, they went through his fingers, surprising him. He then looked at Jose, who just smirked and disappeared as a large shadow appeared above Makarov.
"How tragic it is," a sad voice said before a big magic circle appeared.
Suddenly, there was explosion, causing the fight to pause. Everyone was shocked when they saw someone falling, and it was Makarov.
"MASTER MAKAROV!"
"OLD MAN!"
"GRAMPS!"
Kurama saw him falling and quickly changed back to his cat form and flew towards Makarov, catching him by the back of his coat and flew towards Erza, who had a worried look in her face as Kurama handed Makarov to her. His skin was green, his breathing ragged and sweating profusely.
"Master…" Erza said in a worried tone before she noticed that her comrades' morale has dropped seeing their master like that. "…Everyone, retreat!"
"What!?"
"We shouldn't leave! We have to avenge the old man!"
"We have to go!"
"The old man needs help!"
Soon, Fairy Tail started retreating, giving Phantom Lord a morale boost. Gajeel hopped back to his perch on the top, followed by Neji and Tenten, who watched Fairy Tail run. Suddenly, a puddle crawled towards them, and Juvia appeared.
"Juvia? Where's the girl?" Gajeel asked as Juvia shook her head.
"Juvia is sorry, but the target was protected by a man who could control shadows," she explained, causing the three to look surprised.
"Impossible, he shouldn't be able to recover so quickly," Neji said with a frown.
"Gihihi, how interesting," Gajeel said with a smirk as he watched Fairy Tail retreat, though he noticed Kurama glaring at them before following the others.
As Fairy Tail ran out of the town, Erza spotted someone running towards them. She saw that it was Fox, who stopped in front of them.
"Fox!" Kurama exclaimed, happy to see his friend back on his feet.
"Old man!" Fox exclaimed as he felt that the old man's magic was greatly drained dangerously. "Erza-san, what happened?"
"We'll explain later!" Erza exclaimed as she looked at Makarov worriedly. "We need to take Master back."
"…Everyone, hold on tight!" Fox exclaimed before he extended his shadow towards the group and they all disappeared in the shadow just as Phantom Lord mages arrived to attack, only to look around in confusion.
"Go ahead and run, Fairy Tail," Jose said as he appeared in front of his mages. "But you cannot escape."
Well, ending the chapter here. Man, so many things happened, a rollercoaster of events, from finding who destroyed the guild, Fox vs Gajeel, two Naruto characters appearing, Fairy Tail attacking Phantom Lord, Kurama vs Gajeel, Neji and Tenten, finding out why Phantom Lord attacked them and the Makarov fallen from battle. Man, next chapter is going to be even more eventful.
Next chapter, Phantom Lord master vs Demon Fox! See you later!